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Fractals and Chaos in Biology
Fractals and Chaos in Biology
By: Daniel
Introduction
Have you ever awed at the fact that the heart
beats more than 30 million times a year? Perhaps you
have wondered how part of our lungs can have a surface
area the size of a tennis court. Youre in luck! Thanks to
fractals and chaos we can accurately describe and
understand various parts of the human body.
Researchers are working around the clock to try to solve
biological problems such as cancer and cystic fibrosis.
Instead of some new dangerous method, wouldnt it be
wonderful if we could cure diseases by the knowledge we
have gained in fractals and chaos theory? Stem cell
research, radiation treatment, and any other uncertain
cures may all be ruled out if fractals and chaos can take a
large role in the field of biology. Come, lets find out
more!
Picture from:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/members/j
ill.lawson/
Henri Poincar
Pictures from:
http://www.fractalus.ch/index_
pic/Julia.jpg
http://www.spsu.edu/math/edw
ards/mandel/bigman.jpg
Gaston Julia,
who sadly,
lost his nose
in WWI
Leon Glass
Picture from:
www.physionet.org/
contributors/
Onward
Select a topic
The human heart
Brain, DNA
Lungs
Click when
finished
finished
Diseased heart
Interesting Fact:
This concept also applies to human
walking. When humans walk with
variation in their step they are normal.
With the onset of a disease, such as
Parkinsons disease, the human stride
is more constant.
Next page
Picture
from:http://focus.hms.harvard.e
du/2002/March8_2002/cardiolo
gy.html
Picture from:http://www.physionet.org/tutorials/ndc
http://www.physionet.org/tutorials/ndc
Picture from:http://www.physionet.org/tutorials/ndc
http://www.physionet.org/tutorials/ndc
BACK TO THE
HUMAN HEART
BACK TO THE
HUMAN HEART
Aortic valve
leaflets
Pictures from:
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/imageswv/ARTERIE
S.jpg,
www.synecor.com/images/
www.medtronic.com/cardsurgery/images/fix4.jpg
The Lungs
What you are hearing is a ventilator,
which hopefully you will never have to
use.
Thanks to the fractal geometry of our
lungs, most of us dont have to use
ventilators or other breathing devices.
As Benoit Mandelbrot was doing his
research on Fractals and Chaos, he
proposed that the lung shows signs of
fractal geometry. Since then several
studies have been done to prove this
as being true. Another notable
scientist to research fractals in the
lungs was Sergey V. Buldyrev.
Sergey V. Buldryev
Continue
The Lungs
The fractal geometry of
the lungs helps the lungs
resist and overcome
problems and physical
stress during their growth.
Also, In the lungs, there are
small air sacs, called alveoli,
that are responsible for the
diffusion of oxygen into the
blood.
Continue
A digital representation of
lung tissue.
Pictures from:
http://classes.yale.edu/fractals/Panorama/Biology
/Physiology/Physiology.html
Main Menu
By modeling electrical signals in the brain and nerves, scientists have been able to
model the *alpha rhythm using chaos. Alpha rhythm, along with other wave
frequencies, can often be modeled using time series graphs.
Images
from:http://www.crossroadsinstitute.org/eeg.html
If alpha rhythm is
between 8 -12 Hz and
has the graph shown
try to guess the
following.
Match the graph to the type
of rhythm (frequency band).
Delta: .1 3 Hz
Theta: 4 8 Hz
Beta: above 12 Hz
Delta: .1 3 Hz
Theta: 4 8 Hz
Images
from:http://www.crossroadsinstitute.org/eeg.html
A Brain Fractal.
A fractal of DNA.
,.
Main Menu
Benoit
Mandelbrot.
Credits
Browne, Malcolm. The Fractal Heart. New York Times, unknown date
http://www.nyu.edu/classes/neimark/FRACT1.HTM
Landau, Misia. Healthy Heart Keeps Polyrhythmic Beat, March 8th, 2002.
Harvard Medical, Dental, and Public Health Schools